Method for forming an ad hoc network

ABSTRACT

An ad hoc network is formed as a connection between a local area network with its services and at least one body-worn network when at least one computer in the local area network detects the local services located in the local area network, translates them into Jini services and offers them on the IP plane with the use of Jini middleware for body-worn networks.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on and hereby claims priority to GermanApplication No. 101 382 66.9 filed on Aug. 3, 2001, the contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to a method for forming an ad hoc networkas a connection between a local area network with its services and atleast one body-worn network.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] It is known that networks are currently administered centrally asa rule. If a new network element is added, it must be ensured that it“understands” the network elements already present, that is to say hasthe correct interface with the network and the correct drivers. One stepin the development of the networks is therefore the development of theso-called “plug & play” in the form of the so-called “ad hoc” networks.A description of this novel network type, which will certainly gain inimportance in the future, is to be found, for example, in the articleentitled “Geistreiche Verbindungen, Intelligente Geräte in dezentralenNetzen” which can be translated “Brilliant connections, intelligentdevices in decentralized networks”. A specific design of an ad hocnetwork is the Jini™, whose architecture and mechanisms are described inthe Technical White Paper “Jini™ Architectural Overview” from SunMicrosystems. The disclosure content of this publication, in particularwith reference to the configuration of the Jini™ middleware, is herebytaken over into the disclosure content of this application.

[0006] Ad hoc networks such as that from Jini™ are distinguished in thatnetwork elements, and thus also the services offered by them, can beinserted arbitrarily into a network and removed again therefrom.

[0007] Here, services are understood in general terms as an entity whichcan be used by a person, a program, or another service. This can behardware, software, filters, a communications channel, storage space andmuch else besides. Many individual services may be required to carry outa job.

[0008] The central control is undertaken by so-called blackboards.Network elements can communicate their existence and their capabilitiesto the blackboard and search for services that can offer capabilities. Aleasing mechanism is offered for using the services, a use durationbeing agreed here between the participating entities upon the expiry ofwhich the resources of the service being used are released again. Thecommunication between services can be performed by Java Remote MethodInvocation.

[0009] The problem of the prior art now consists in incorporating theJini™ technology into the complex of a local area network, and thuscreating an ad hoc network that permits the appliances incorporated viaJini™ also to access existing infrastructure rationally.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] It is therefore an object of the invention to solve this problemof the prior art and to incorporate the Jini™ technology into thecomplex of a local area network and thereby to create an ad hoc networkthat permits the appliances incorporated via Jini™ also to accessexisting infrastructure rationally.

[0011] During ad hoc networking, that is to say the formation of ad hocnetworks and the operation of these networks, the interplay of existinginfrastructures with the body-worn networks, on the one hand, androom-specific infrastructures, on the other hand, with the aid of simpleplug-and-play is made possible. The existing infrastructures include,for example, local area networks that enable in a corporate division orelse in the area of public buildings services such as printing, accessto e-mail servers, access to the Internet or Intranet, or else access todirectories and information data sets, such as a so-called corporatedirectory or similar services.

[0012] Body-worn network is to be understood here to include allelectronic appliances worn “on the person” such as, for example, a cellphone, a notebook, a digital camera, an organizer or a PDA etc.

[0013] A spatial network is defined with the aid of all room-specificappliances such as, for example, a fax machine present there, a beamer,a telephone or else access to a room-specific lighting system, anaudio/video system or building automation techniques such as airconditioning, window shading etc.

[0014] An aspect of the present invention is that coworkers belongingand not belonging to a corporation, for example, can meet to confer in acorporate division and in the process can use their own appliances,connected to the in-house and out-of-house infrastructure, and theappliances located in the room. Thus, for example, it is to be possibleto print a document that is located on a notebook brought in, to dial atelephone number on the cell phone via the corporate directory, to printout on the nearest printer a fax received on the cell phone or an e-mailattachment. Correspondingly, the aim is also to have available an e-mailservice, access to the Internet and Intranet on the notebooks brought inand, over and above this, also to be able to jointly process documentson the notebooks brought in and to make a presentation on the beamerlocated in the room. Likewise, it is to be possible for out-of-housecoworkers also to be able to set up online access to the Intranet of theout-of-house corporation.

[0015] Such services are currently possible only by way of problematicand individual incorporation of such appliances into a networkstructure, making use of driver software and knowledge on type andlocation of the available services or administrations with the aid ofaccess rights.

[0016] According to the invention, a method for forming an ad hocnetwork as a connection between a local area network with its servicesand a body-worn network is improved to the effect that at least onecomputer in the local area network detects the local services located inthe local area network, translates them into Jini™ services and offersthem on the internet protocol (IP) plane with the use of Jini™middleware for body-worn networks.

[0017] It can be advantageous in this case when the at least onecomputer, which translates the Jini™ services, serves as server in thelocal area network. However, it is also possible that the at least onecomputer is a client node of the local area network, or a base stationof a room network.

[0018] In addition, the connection between the at least one computer,which translates the Jini™ services, and the body-worn network isproduced in a wireless fashion or with galvanic coupling, or both, theaim being to give preference to the wireless connection via infraredinterfaces, Bluetooth interfaces or similar systems, for example.

[0019] If the local area network is a network of large spatial extent,it can be advantageous for the services offered in the local areanetwork to be assigned location-dependent attributes such that it ispossible on the basis of the location-dependent attributes present tocommunicate the spatial structure of the offered services to therespective appliance in the region of a body-worn network such that, ifappropriate, it is possible in the case of a multiplicity of similarservices to access specifically the services nearest in location, forexample the services of the room in which a person is located.

[0020] For this purpose an appliance that belongs to a body-worn networkand is connected to the local area network is assigned the samelocation-dependent attribute as the computer of the local area networkvia which the connection to the body-worn network is set up. Owing tothis assignment of the location-dependent attributes, it is now possibleon the basis of the defined localization of the services and applianceslocated in the overall ad hoc network for such services and appliancesto be connected to one another in a practically and spatially rationalway.

[0021] Thus, for example, it is now possible to use a PDA to accessspecifically the building automation in order to regulate thetemperature or the lighting in the room in which one is currentlylocated. At the same time, it is also possible in a countermove to usethe local area network to locate coworkers in the corporate division, orother persons, since the location attribute of the respective person ispresent in the local area network, for example via his/her cell phone.It can be particularly advantageous for this purpose when thelocation-dependent attributes are selected in a room-specific fashionsuch that it is possible to specify the room in a simple way when givingthe location.

[0022] An additional advantageous development of the method resides inthe fact that given the presence of a plurality of similar services inthe local area network the services nearest in location are offeredrespectively as a matter of priority or exclusively to each appliancelocated in a body-worn network. Thus, for example, it is possible totake account of the structure of a building with its stories anddepartments. This renders it substantially easier for the subscriber inthe ad hoc network to find the services favorably located for him.

[0023] It is advantageous in this case when the location-dependentattributes are defined hierarchically in accordance with theirlocation-dependent possibility of use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] These and other objects and advantages of the present inventionwill become more apparent and more readily appreciated from thefollowing description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings of which:

[0025]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an ad hoc network according to theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0026] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodimentsof the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to likeelements throughout.

[0027] As illustrated in FIG. 1, an ad hoc network according to theinvention includes a local area network 1, a room network 4 connected tolocal area network 1 via an Ethernet line 7, and a body-worn network 5.The body-worn network 5 has a cell phone 5.1, a notebook 5.2 and PDA5.3, which communicate via a WLAN base station 6, which is located inthe LAN 1.

[0028] On the other hand, it is also possible to communicate with aJini™ network 2 integrated in the LAN 1 and in which there is located,for example, a coworker's PC 2.1, a printer 2.2 and a department server2.3 that constitute in their totality a subgroup of the LAN 1.

[0029] Also located in the LAN 1 are global Jini™ services 3 such as,for example, an access to the Internet 3.1, an access to the Intranet3.2, an e-mail service 3.3 or a corporate directory 3.n. Of course, thisenumeration is not exhaustive.

[0030] The connecting structures within the local area network 1 aredeliberately kept open, since in this way it is possible to apply allknown possible networks. The link-up, illustrated by way of example, viaan Ethernet 7 of the room network 4 is likewise not intended to limitthe invention. Located here by way of example in the room network 4illustrated is a Jini™ proxy 4.1 via which a beamer 4.2, a telephone 4.3and a fax machine 4.4, which are all located inside a room, areconnected.

[0031] It is now possible by this design of an ad hoc network accordingto the invention for a person having a body-worn network composed ofindividual electronic appliances to enter the region of a local areanetwork of a corporation and immediately to be able to use allpossibilities open to him of the services present in this local areanetwork.

[0032] In addition, it is to be pointed out in this case that the term“corporate division” is to be understood not only as a corporation inthe business sense, but also, for example, the term “corporation” isalso to be understood as an airport, a railroad station, local areanetworks of a ship, of an aircraft or of a train, or other localstructures such as public buildings or else entire exposition groundsand even the district of a town or city.

[0033] It goes without saying that the above-named features of theinvention can be used not, only in the combination respectivelyspecified, but also in other combinations or alone, without leaving thescope of the invention. The invention has been described in detail withparticular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples, butit will be understood that variations and modifications can be effectedwithin the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for forming an ad hoc network having aninternet protocol plane, as a connection between a local area networkproviding local services and at least one body-worn network, comprising:detecting the local services of the local area network by at least onecomputer in the local area network; translating the local services intoadaptive network services; and offering the local services on theinternet protocol plane using middleware for body-worn networks.
 2. Themethod as claimed in claim 1, wherein said translating translates thelocal services into Jini services for the at least one body-wornnetwork.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least onecomputer is a server in the local area network.
 4. The method as claimedin claim 2, wherein the at least one computer is a client of the localarea network.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at leastone computer is a base station of a room network.
 6. The method asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the connection between the at least onecomputer and the body-worn network includes at least one of a wirelessand galvanic coupling.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 2, furthercomprising assigning the services offered in the local area networklocation-dependent attributes.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 7,wherein the at least one computer has a location-dependent attribute,and wherein said method further comprises assigning an applianceconnected to the at least one body-worn network and to the local areanetwork the location-dependent attribute of the at least one computer.9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising selecting thelocation-dependent attributes in a room-specific fashion.
 10. The methodas claimed in claim 2, further comprising, when similar services areavailable in the local area network, offering at least one servicenearest in location to an appliance in the body-worn network, based onat least one of priority and exclusively per appliance.
 11. The methodas claimed in claim 10, further comprising assigning the servicesoffered in the local area network, location-dependent attributes definedhierarchically in accordance with location-dependent possibility of use.12. A system for forming an ad hoc network having an internet protocolplane, as a connection between a local area network providing localservices and at least one body-worn network, comprising: at least onecomputer in the local area network to detect the local services of thelocal area network, to translate the local services into adaptivenetwork services, and to offer the local services on the internetprotocol plane using middleware for body-worn networks.
 13. The systemas claimed in claim 12, wherein said at least one computer is a serverin the local area network and translates the local services into Jiniservices for the at least one body-worn network.
 14. The system asclaimed in claim 12, wherein said at least one computer is a client ofthe local area network and translates the local services into Jiniservices for the at least one body-worn network.
 15. The system asclaimed in claim 12, wherein said at least one computer is a basestation of a room network and translates the local services into Jiniservices for the at least one body-worn network.
 16. The system asclaimed in claim 12, further comprising at least one of a wireless andgalvanic coupling between said at least one computer and the body-wornnetwork.
 17. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said at leastone computer further assigns the services offered in the local areanetwork location-dependent attributes.
 18. The system as claimed inclaim 17, further comprising an appliance connected to the at least onebody-worn network and to the local area network, and wherein said atleast one computer has a location-dependent attribute and assigns theappliance the location-dependent attribute.
 19. The system as claimed inclaim 18, wherein said at least one computer further selects thelocation-dependent attributes in a room-specific fashion.
 20. The systemas claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one body-worn networkincludes at least one appliance connected to the local area network, andwherein, when similar services are available in the local area network,said at least one computer further offers at least one service nearestin location to the at least one appliance, based on at least one ofpriority and exclusively per appliance.
 21. The system as claimed inclaim 20, wherein said at least one computer further assigns theservices offered in the local area network, location-dependentattributes defined hierarchically in accordance with location-dependentpossibility of use.